The Xaphoon Pocket Sax - a pint-sized powerhouse
The Xaphoon has proven so popular worldwide that in the year 2000 an injection-molded Xaphoon called "The Pocket Sax" was created.
 Listen to a sample of the Xaphoon Pocket Sax
Ideal for classrooms or students on a budget, this instrument (available in the key of "C") sounds identical to the original bamboo instruments, retaining all of their richness and versatility.
In January, 2007, The Pocket Sax was exhibited for the first time at the world-famous NAMM musical industry trade show at the Anaheim Convention Center in California. To say that it was enthusiastically received is an understatement -- the booth was flooded with people non-stop and those who walked by absolutely couldn't believe the sound which came from such a small instrument! The Maui Xaphoon Pocket Sax won Best in Show in the "Small Goods Rule!" category at NAMM, being quoted: It's small, portable, sounds great, and is brilliantly simple!
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The Xaphoon Pocket Sax is an affordable, injection-molded version of the handmade Xaphoon Bamboo Sax. It was created to help satisfy the growing worldwide demand for this tiny yet rich-sounding little instrument. The Xaphoon Pocket Sax has the same two-octave range, is pitched in "C", and retains all the richness and versatility of the original handmade Bamboo Xaphoons.
Former U.S. President Bill Clinton, who is also a saxophone player, got a kick out of the Xaphoon being demonstrated at the 2007 TED conference, an invitation-only event where the world's leading thinkers and doers gather to find inspiration. |
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| Maui Xaphoon & Pocket Sax |
| The original Maui Xaphoon (pronounced “za foon”), is a "Bamboo Sax", and was invented over 25 years ago by Brian Wittman in Maui, Hawaii. Since its creation, Brian has made over 40,000 Bamboo Xaphoon's. The Xaphoon uses a tenor sax reed, available at any music store, rather than the whistles that are found in recorders and pennywhistles. Standard Xaphoon's are in the Key of C, and have a full chromatic range of 2 octaves. The Xaphoon’s sound falls somewhere between a saxophone and a clarinet – a much richer sound than its size would suggest – and was born to be played wherever and whenever the mood strikes. The experienced player will find the Xaphoon capable of all the subtle shadings and vibrant power of a saxophone. The beginner will find it fun and easy, and good practice for other reed instruments. The Xaphoon is about two octaves lower than conventional flutes of the same length. Played in an acoustic space, it sounds much like a full-sized saxophone.
The Original Bamboo Xaphoon
Color variations of the Xaphoon Pocket Sax
Listen to the Pink Panther theme on Pocket Sax
Already there are three Xaphoon-only CD's on the market, and musicians who score Hollywood films are quite fond of the Xaphoon, since it can sound vaguely familiar, earthy, and chromatic all at the same time. Paul Simon also featured the instrument prominently in his 2006 U.S. tour.
For much more information about the Xaphoon, original and Pocket Sax versions, including its rich history, free sheet music, many more sound samples, online store and much more, please pay a visit to the official Xaphoon website at Xaphoon.com Spend a little time getting to know this little giant, and you'll want to have a Xaphoon of your own! |
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